By Toby J. Karten

Onward & Upward!

Returning from summer break, Samaya Teacher enters North Star’s building, with a smile across her face, as she envisions the successful year ahead.

Inclusion Take Away#1 Begin the year with a positive ATTITUDE!

Inclusion Do’s, Don’ts, & Do Betters, this three columned curriculum graphic organizer (CGO), structures a few thoughts that professionals, caregivers, and collaborators are invited to define.

Inclusion Take Away #2: Label your thoughts to clear the inclusion anxiety!

Samaya has humor, conversation, cereal, a bowl, and a spoon available for the kid who comes in before class because other than the lucky mornings when he finds cold pizza in his refrigerator, accessible food in his kitchen is a rarity. Samaya starts his day with a full belly and a smile.The custodian provides the milk, but the 4th grader holds his own spoon.

Inclusion Take Away #3: Collaborate with others to provide what’s needed.

Samaya teaches the kids who love and/or hate art, bugs, sports, Mario Bros, US Presidents, and TikTok. Her former students work on Wall Street as a stockbroker, in Major League Sports as a publicist, in Hollywood as a screenwriter, in a restaurant as a sous chef, and in an eighth grade classroom as a History teacher.

Samaya connects to her students’ learner profiles. She doesn’t teach at the same pace to each kid when some need to hear it louder, softer, faster, slower, with more pics, less words, or a YouTube. She incorporates learner interests and likes, whether that’s math, sports, short stories, recipes, or history.

Inclusion Take Away #4 Differentiate lessons

Samaya has the rules with step-by step visuals posted for the kids who need reminders, centers and sensory corners for kids who like to explore, chill, review, and preview. There are comfy bean bag chairs, wobbly stools, floor mats, math manipulatives, bookshelves with graphic novels, poems, short stories, big books, and historical fiction, along with small tables for group work, and QR codes to review content.

Inclusion Take Away #5 -Be Proactive, vs. Inactive or Reactive

Wishing y’all a TERRIFIC 2025-26 calendar year!